Serge Mouille Four-Arm Wall Lamp from the 1950s
View Similar Items
Serge Mouille Four-Arm Wall Lamp from the 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Serge Mouille (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 9.85 in (25 cm)Diameter: 35.44 in (90 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Shows signs of use and age, original vintage patina!
- Seller Location:Basel, CH
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU104221737962
Serge Mouille
Instantly recognizable by their long slender armatures and domed, ovoid shades, the best-known floor lamps and other lighting fixtures of Serge Mouille have become emblems of the organic design of the mid-20th century. Along with Jean Prouvé, Mathieu Matégot and others, Mouille brought a fresh, modern aesthetic to metalwork, one of the most tradition-bound mediums in the decorative arts.
Mouille (pronounced: MWEE) was born to a working Parisian family. At age 15, he took up studies in the metalworking atelier of that École des Arts Appliqués, under the tutelage of the goldsmith and sculptor Gabriel Lacroix. After graduating, in 1941, Mouille worked in Lacroix’s studio and began teaching at his alma mater four years later.
In the early 1950s, bothered by the preponderance of new Italian lamps and chandeliers on the market and consumed with the belief that fixtures by Gino Sarfatti and others were unnecessarily complex, Mouille opened a lighting-design workshop. He quickly won commissions from several French schools and libraries. In 1956, the influential Paris gallerist Steph Simon — who also promoted Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand and Isamu Noguchi — began to show Mouille designs, introducing his work to private collectors. Mouille would continue making handcrafted lighting fixtures at a slow but steady pace until 1964, when he stopped working to begin a long course of treatment for tuberculosis. When it was completed, Mouille returned to teaching at the École des Arts Appliqués for the remainder of his career.
With the biomorphic shades and long armatures of his fixtures, Mouille created one of the most engaging and idiosyncratic lighting aesthetics of his time. Though often described as “insect-like,” his pieces have more in common with the fluid, buoyant forms in the paintings of Jean Arp. (Mouille designed several cylindrical or columnar lamps; though highly collectible, those are interesting outliers in his body of work.)
As with Prouvé’s folded metal forms and Matégot’s perforated steel, Mouille brought a novel lightness and energy to metal furnishings. Since Mouille’s designs found renewed popularity in the early 2000s, licensed re-editions of his pieces are being produced. The disparity in price between vintage and current-day Mouille pieces is great. Older works — identification tip: the interior white reflective enameling has a yellowish cast — cost $20,000 to $40,000, and newer pieces go for 10 to 20 percent less than that. As you will see on these pages, Serge Mouille created icons of 20th century design — at once sleek, suave and friendly — that belong in any modern decor.
Find vintage Serge Mouille table lamps, chandeliers and other lighting on 1stDibs.
- Serge Mouille 'Saturn' Wall LampBy Editions Serge Mouille, Serge MouilleLocated in Utrecht, NLWall lamp 'Saturne' in white version. Listed as 220-240 Voltage but can be used with right bulb in US, Canada hardwired or with plug as plug in. Originally designed in 1957, this iconic lamp is still made by Edition Serge Mouille in France using many of the same small-scale manufacturing techniques and with scrupulous attention to detail, materials and craftsmanship. Each piece is stamped, numbered and made to order. The lamps are produced using original moulds, proportions, materials and techniques. This offered lamp ships from...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Original Serge Mouille One Arm Wall LightBy Serge MouilleLocated in Hamburg, DEAn original one-arm wall lamp, black metal, designed by Serge Mouille, France, in 1954. Matt black outside, sconce white semi mat inside. Measures: Vertical arm 51cm x Horizontal arm including scone 127cm. Sconce L 23cm x W 23cm x H 15cm. The round wall holder allows rotation. Provenance Alexandre Biaggi...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass, Steel, Aluminum
- Original Vintage Serge Mouille Two-Arm Wall LightBy Serge MouilleLocated in Hamburg, DERare, original Serge Mouille angled wall lamp with two pivoting arms. "Lampadaire" style shade on one and "Casquette" on the other, 1954. Enameled steel, enameled aluminum and brass...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsAluminum, Brass, Steel
- French Original 1950s Sconce by Serge MouilleBy Serge MouilleLocated in Long Island City, NYFrench original vintage (not a re-edition) black lacquered sconce by Serge Mouille with brass details. Shade and arm are adjustable.Category
Vintage 1950s French Wall Lights and Sconces
- Serge Mouille - Wall Sconce with 1 Arm and Double SwivelBy Serge MouilleLocated in Stratford, CTThe one straight arm, two swivels, is a perfect solution for smaller spaces as it offers a variety of lighting options. This sconce is highly adjustable, with brass swivels, on the b...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and ...
MaterialsSteel, Aluminum
- Midcentury Black Metal Wall Lamp in the Style of Serge Mouille, circa 1950By Serge MouilleLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaWall lamp designed in the style of Serge Mouille. By unknown manufacturer, circa 1950. In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful ...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMetal